Dagim Yosef, 40, a father of two and expecting a third child soon, has never encountered such shortages for lubricants in the seven years he has been in the industrial lubricant business.

He operates from a tiny six-square-metre retail space around German Square, next to a heavy-truck maintenance garage. Escalating prices have accompanied the shortage in the supply of motor oils, greases and other lubricants to such an extent that he has found it challenging to stay in business.

In the last two months, lubrication products from OiLibya and Yetebaberut Beherawi Petroleum (YBP), suppliers  and importers, are still found in the market, while products from Total Ethiopia and National Oil Company (NOC) have disappeared altogether, according to him.

Illustrating the price differences found among oils at distributors, Dagim says that the current selling price of OiLibya product for a 200lt differential-oil sold in barrels has spiked to 17,500 Br, an increase of 23pc. And a 25-litre Deomax engine oil has increased to 2,500 Br from 2,000 Br.

Price escalations by other companies such as Yetebaberut Beherawi Petroleum are also within the same range, according to him.

“I sell to my customers adding premiums of 50 Br to 100 Br on containers that hold one litre to 20lt; for bulk oil sold from barrels, I charge premiums of 10 Br a litre,” he said.

There are various types of lubricants imported including petrol motor oils, diesel engine oils, gear oils, automatic transmission and brake fluids, hydraulic and industrial gear oils as well as greases in different brands and volumes.

At one of the NOC fuel stations around the Bulgaria neighbourhood, Fortuneobserved the shortage of engine oils as drivers who stop by looking for the product were being turned away.

“We are receiving the motor oil in quotas from the company, who have cut down the supply quantity they used to sell to us,” said the salesperson who declined to give her name.

The salesperson showed Fortunerecent prices of Havoline Formula regular motor oils that had prices of 115 Br for one-litre and 474.7 Br for four-litre containers. Similarly, the price for Delo Gold Ultra diesel engine oil stands at 133 Br a litre; 497.2 Br for four litres; and 564.62 for five litres.

“We sell the products according to prices set by the Ministry of Trade & Industry,” she said. “The problem is only a shortage of supply.”

One of Total Ethiopia’s fuel stations around Qera Mosque has been experiencing shortages of the products for the past five to six months, according to attendants who add that the company has reduced the quota the station receives.

“There is a high demand for motor oils, but we’re not receiving sufficient supplies,” she said.

Dawit Habtemariam, a young taxi driver in his twenties, fills up his vehicle with Havoline Formula oil every two months or after driving 5,000Km.

“I used to pay 400 Br to 500 Br for a four-litre Havoline formula at the fuel stations just two months ago,” he said. “But with the shortage, I started to pay up to 900 Br for the same volume from retailers around Qera.”

Even the Total bulk engine oils, which used to fetch 70 Br to 90 Br a litre at some gas stations, have now increased by at least 30 Br a litre, according to Dawit.

Fortuneobtained a price quotation from one of the distributors of lubricants around Gofa by requesting a proforma invoice.

“You have to buy it within two days,” said the clerk issuing the proforma for the three products that were available from a long list Fortune presented. “The products sell out very fast.”